


Technicolor Heart

by HellieAce



Category: Promare (2019)
Genre: Galo does his best (as always), Gen, Gueira and Meis help too, How Lio Got His Groove (read Promare) Back(tm), Hurt/Comfort, Lio doesn't know how to cope, M/M, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-21
Updated: 2019-10-21
Packaged: 2020-12-27 12:11:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,358
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21118595
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HellieAce/pseuds/HellieAce
Summary: The Promare are gone. The world is safe. Life goes on.For Lio Fotia, there's never been a life without his fire, not one he cares for, anyways. So how does anyone expect him to feel like he belongs in this world when he's down to dwindling embers? What is he worth with nothing to burn? He's scared to know the answer.So Lio hopes that maybe - just maybe - a certain Galo Thymos could be his kindling spark one more time.





	Technicolor Heart

**Author's Note:**

> Oops I accidentally hyper-fixated and wrote fanfic. Don't know how long this will be but at least a couple chapters I suppose! Enjoy~

A breeze drifting off the mountains brings a brisk wind that whips at Lio's coat. It whistles past his ears, sparking his senses, and raising a line of gooseflesh on his covered arms. He's only just gathered up his satchel, and started heading out for the evening. Sadly, while the sound is brief, the chill lingers on his once fever-warm skin. Looking out over the vast construction zone he walks past, Lio decides he hates that chilly quietness. 

It's not that he despises moments of rest, or peace in the tumultuous world, but the dead, eerie silence of _nothingness;_ that cold void that now claws at the back of his brain whenever he stops moving. It drags its icy claws down the nape of his neck, talons catching on every notch of his vertebrae until Lio wants to squirm away from the phantom feeling. No amount of coats or physical motion can warm him when it sets in. 

But it's the yawning maw of his own empty mind that bothers him the most. His thoughts ring too loudly, and he misses the echoing whispers that would answer him back. Without the Promare, Lio feels like there is too much space in his body, too many places for the unwanted worries and doubts to creep in. The fires that snuffed out the cold, intrusive thoughts no longer burn, and Lio can no longer feel the safety of the Promare’s eternal light. 

_That_ is the quiet Lio hates. 

Thankfully, it doesn’t come terribly often. There’s a thousand and one things that need his attention these days. Refugees that need supplies and support are his foremost concern. So many of the ex-Burnish are lost without the Promare. They stumble about like hollow husks, a glassy haze to their once fire-bright eyes, seeking something they’ll never find again. He can’t recall the amount of times his fellows have reached for his sleeve, and begged him for answers to their emptiness. Lio can never explain it.

All he can do is keep moving. Every day he comes to the outskirts of Promepolis where the ex-Burnish have been quarantined to. Right now, it still looks like a demolition operation, but it's come a long way. Lio's made sure of it. The last vestiges of his people at least sleep under proper roofs now. Crowded as the few finished structures may be, at least they no longer hide beneath the shadow of forsaken highways. And every day more and more homes are built, more and more supplies passed out. More and more of them are able to smile again. 

The construction is taxing work; Lio's muscles ache from it, but it's all worth it. They have a place of their own that they no longer cower in. It's not ideal, given all that they've fought for, but the city had allotted them a fairly generous portion of undeveloped land to establish their own corner in. It would take time for many to reintegrate, so the respectful space was something Lio allowed in the official demands. 

Still, Lio worries for them. 

He’s still unsure of it all himself. What can he offer them besides a smile, and hope for the future? Things are tough now, but they'll get better. The Promare are gone, they’re free now. They can go back to their old lives, or live peacefully among the populace. He’s here to help- Lio’s always here to help- He has to help them-

“Hey! Big boss!”

Lio startles from his spiralling thoughts, his head snapping up, and eyes wide. He realizes too little too late he’s standing stock still at the doorstep of the Burning Rescue fire house. Wait- when had he gotten here? How long had he been walking in such a fog? He doesn’t remember heading this way at all, or-

“Yo! Lio? Ya hear me?”

Galo, Lio realizes, is leaning out of the second story window, and waving down at him. He’s surprisingly fully-dressed, a dark tank top covering his broad chest. It’s emblazoned with his initials over his breast pocket, the gold embroidery catching the edges of the sunlight as he swings his arms about. The glint of the dying light glitters on his chiseled jaw as well, and Lio feels a spark of warmth. Enough to quell the icy desolation he’s been worrying about. For now, anyways. 

“You’re going to fall,” Lio answers him indirectly, and it earns a snort from Galo.

“No, I’m not!” Galo thumps his chest proudly - and right on cue, he stumbles forward with his own exuberant retort. At least he catches himself before his entire body comes crashing down. The dumbass even plays it off as if he meant to do that, and braces his hands on the slant of the roof. When he rights himself, Galo sends a beaming grin Lio’s way. It's so much brighter than the sunset halo that illuminates his figure. “Come on up! I haven’t seen you all day!”

That’s a curious thing. Galo has both an edge of concern and excitement to his voice, as if not seeing Lio for the day had given him pause at some point. It’s something Gueira and Meis do too, though usually only after multiple days of Lio being missing. He’s finding Galo isn’t nearly as patient as his generals.

“Geez, ya comin’ or what?” Galo howls down at him, patting the roof under his spread palms.

“Fine, fine,” Lio finally relents, and fishes into his jacket pocket for the spare key the rescue team has loaned him. He twists the knob, and nudges the door open with his shoulder after unlocking it. The concept is a bit strange in the way it feels to remember old muscle memory. He’s not had a physical house key to anything for years. Not since awakening his Burnish powers. There were no homes or secure places to lock down when he’d been on the run. 

Lio has his back to the main hall, relocking the door behind him when the excited galloping of booted feet come thundering up. The ex-Burnish lets his shoulders go lax, and doesn’t fight the motion as Galo is suddenly there, and is just as suddenly hoisting him up in a tight hug. This is just what he does. Lio has come to expect it with a kind of half-exhausted fondness. 

Galo hooks his chin over Lio’s shoulder, laughing merrily against his ear.

“You get skinnier since yesterday, Big Boss? I swear you feel lighter. Gotta get you eatin' more."

“You say that every time, Galo,” Lio retorts, mostly limp in the larger’s embrace.

“Nuh uh-”

“Yes-”

“Nope, couldn’t be me.”

“Galo, I swear-” and Lio breathes out a lofty sigh. He rolls his eyes skyward, and gently kicks his heel back, bumping Galo’s knee. It works well enough. Galo drops him ungracefully with an accusatory, “hey!”

Lio lands as sure as a cat, dusting off his chest as he rises back up. There’s a sly lilt in the way he clicks his tongue at the pouting fireman. 

“You struck first, I was merely defending myself.”

“I don’t know if I’d call a great big bear hug an attack, y’know.” Crossing his arms, Galo’s pout deepens, and he stomps a foot down. Lio thinks he looks like a petulant child. A huff of amusement tumbles from his lips. This man is something else entirely, Lio thinks. 

“Well, perhaps you should ask next time.” Galo never will. Lio doesn’t mind.

“Sure, whatever you want, spoilsport.” They both know it's a lie. Galo's grin gives it away just as much as Lio's little frown does. 

“At least I’m not the fool that nearly fell out of the window.” Lio shifts his weight to step forward, and instinctively Galo falls into step beside him. They walk through the firehouse, bickering quietly- well, Lio bickers quietly. Galo bickers loudly. _Very_ loudly.

“I was getting your attention, and doing it exactly as planned!”

“Right,” Lio chides, eyes hooded, and looking ever-so smug. They play this cat-and-mouse game often enough that Lio knows he'll eventually win. So he doesn't concern himself with Galo flailing beside him. 

“I mean it!”

“Of course you do.”

"Seriously, Lio!" 

"Does it sound as if I'm joking?" 

"Ya don't know any jokes. You're-" 

"Precisely. Now don't be irritating."

"Hey!" Galo skids to a halt in front of him. Lio only pauses an inch or so from Galo’s face, undeterred by their difference in size, and certainly not their difference in authority. But Galo is Galo, and by God, he’s the most stubborn idiot Lio has ever met. So neither of them budge. They just lock eyes, and wait. 

Their staredown is interrupted by a distinctive cough. Both combatants flick their gazes to the source with equal annoyance. Who would even dare interrupt them? 

Remi is balancing a mug of coffee on his clipboard, and quite clearly the unexpected referee here. 

Galo looks embarrassed, but Lio just furrows his brows. Remi looks impassive from where he leans against the threshold of the adjoining room. He clears his throat again, cocking a brow at the odd pair.

“Just figured I’d warn you both,” he starts, and inclines his head, motioning to the space behind Galo and Lio. “That if you’re going to have a staring contest, maybe don’t do it in front of the trucks? I’d hate Lucia to run you over if there’s an emergency.”

In unison, the bickering pair follow Remi’s gaze, and Lio scowls deeper. They are standing in the middle of the garage, aren’t they? The glistening crimson of the rescue vehicles glares down at them. Lio glares right back. 

But he doesn’t have time to retort to Remi's observation. Galo is grabbing him by the wrist, and unceremoniously dragging him off to somewhere more secluded. Lio thinks about digging his heels in, but doesn’t feel the desire to put in that kind of effort against the stubborn firefighter. 

Behind him, Lio swears he hears Remi chuckle.

\---

“Alright, what’s your deal?” Galo demands as he slams the door shut after pulling Lio into his bunk.

“What?”

“C’mon, you heard me.” Galo taps the side of his temples, determination brightening his intense, blue eyes. 

“I don’t understand the question,” Lio offers, and leans his back against the post of Galo’s messy bed.

“Bullshit.” 

Lio feels his lip curl in a telltale sneer. He doesn’t like being questioned, and even more so, being questioned about his authenticity. 

“I’m just tired, Galo. What do you want me to say?”

“Nah, you’re always tired. Ya run around like a madman day in and day out. But you’re not actin’ the same as usual.”

“How would you know? You haven’t seen me all day,” Lio parrots, making a mockery of Galo’s earlier quip. Galo brushes it off with infuriating ease. He shakes his head, the sapphire locks rustling with the motion.

“You don’t zone out like that. The Lio I know is as sharp as a knife.”

“Do you find me dull now?” Lio barks back, a bit more annoyance coloring his tone. He doesn’t forget it anymore, but Galo is more perceptive than most give him credit for.

“Somethin’s up, and I can feel it in my burning-”

“- firefighter soul. Yes, yes, I’ve heard this before.” Some of the ire wanes with Galo’s antics, and the fireman perks up a little. But... it doesn’t give Lio an easier way out. If anything, it makes it more difficult. 

“It’s nothing. There’s just a lot on my mind these days,” Lio half-heartedly offers it up, but knows Galo won’t fall for the easy bait. 

“Whatcha thinkin’ about, Big Boss?” To his surprise, Galo softens, and comes up to lean beside Lio. He copies his stance, shoulder to shoulder with the ex-Burnish. 

For as casually as Galo says it, Lio can’t help but feel like there’s a loaded gun held to his head. Just what is he supposed to say to that? How can he explain the raw emptiness of missing his fire? To someone that puts out fires, no less. 

But that's not fair to Galo. He's not just that- Galo understands fire. He understands Lio's fire, even if Lio can't feel that comforting spark like he used to. 

Finally, Lio lets it all bleed out in a terrible sigh. One Galo can _feel_ the sheer exhaustion in as it ghosts from Lio's lips. 

"I'm cold," Lio says. 

"I'm guessin' it's not the kind of cold a blanket or a hug is gonna fix, huh?" 

Lio keeps his eyes cast down at his boots. He shakes his head to mean no. 

There's a pregnant pause between them. That abyss of cold starts permeating the quiet, and all at once, the dark claws come back. They scratch at his mind, until Lio feels a strong arm wrap around his slender shoulders. He startles, and looks up. 

Galo is hugging him to his chest, and offering a gentle smile. His expression is caring, those bright eyes flooding with encouraging warmth. 

"It's rough, huh, Big Boss?" 

Lio doesn't answer. He just closes his eyes, and leans into Galo's hold. 

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault, Galo. We did what we had to."

"Well, maybe. But... I wanna help. And if I gotta be the one to warm you up with my burning firefighter soul, then I'll-" 

The howling wail of the emergency siren interrupts Galo's valiant speech. Red lights spiral above them, and Lio wiggles free of Galo's embrace. The firefighter glances down at him, disappointment dampening that fervent brightness of his. 

"Hey, were gonna figure this out, alright? Don't give up on me yet, Lio."

Lio snorts. 

"You're so irritating, Galo Thymos." But he's smiling. "Get going."

Galo matches it with a million watt grin of his own, and darts for the door. 

"I'll be back as soon as I can!" And just like that he's out the door, and off to do what he does best. 

Lio wonders if maybe one day, Galo really could permanently keep the cold at bay. But for now, it seeps back into his heart, and makes him ache for his warmth again.

**Author's Note:**

> Wooo! Lemme know if y'all liked it~ Gonna be working on future chapters soon.


End file.
